Unlocking insights through data
David McLaughlin
Digital Transformation Consultant
CASE STUDY

Digital Transformation Success Story

Rebuilders Automotive Supply: Catalytic Converter Division

95%
Reduction in Manual Data Entry
$100M+
Annual Transactions Processed
500+
API Functions Deployed
~0%
Transaction Error Rate

People • Process • Technology • Innovation

Successful transformation requires alignment across four critical dimensions

📊

The Challenge

When I joined Rebuilders Automotive Supply, the Catalytic Converter division relied on a fragile foundation of Excel workbooks with over 100 columns, Word templates, and constant email exchanges. Critical operations including procurement, pricing, payments, and supplier management depended on tribal knowledge and manual intervention. With the key subject-matter expert preparing to leave, the risk of operational failure was imminent. Errors, overpayments, and inconsistent practices were costing the company significantly while threatening supplier relationships and preventing scalability.

🎯

My Role & Approach

I led the complete digital transformation of the division's back-office operations, encompassing strategic leadership, solution architecture, and full program execution from requirements analysis through deployment and continuous enhancement. I worked closely with business teams to document processes, identify control gaps, and translate operational knowledge into systemized logic while managing organizational change across leadership, finance, logistics, and supplier teams.

🚀

The Solution

I architected and deployed a fully integrated, cloud-based ERP platform built on Microsoft Azure, orchestrating operations through 500+ API-driven functions and over 8 million lines of code.

End-to-End Automation

Streamlined supplier contracts, lot management, financial transactions, market hedge tracking, and lab result integration.

Smelter Integration

Standardized data exchanges across eight distinct smelter practices while preserving supplier-specific flexibility.

Financial Controls

Automated pricing validation, proforma generation, accounting integration, and transaction reconciliation.

Mobile Ecosystem

Real-time data flow between back-office systems, supplier portals, and mobile applications.

Data Intelligence

Embedded analytics for production planning, logistics coordination, and market forecasting.

Scalable Architecture

Modern, code-first design enabling rapid adaptation to market changes and new partnerships.

📈

Outcomes & Impact

Operational Efficiency

Eliminated 95% of manual data entry and redundant communication loops, freeing teams to focus on strategic activities.

💰

Financial Accuracy

Reduced transaction errors and overpayments to near zero with automated validation covering 100% of high-value transactions.

📊

Scalability Achieved

Platform now processes over $100 million in financial transactions annually with consistent accuracy and full traceability.

🤝

Supplier Experience

Dramatically improved satisfaction through digital self-service, real-time status updates, and pricing transparency.

🔄

Business Agility

Enabled rapid adaptation to market fluctuations, new partnerships, and pricing models without system re-engineering.

Key Takeaways

Transformed fragmented manual processes into an automated ERP system

Designed and implemented 500+ APIs and 8M+ lines of code in Azure

Improved accuracy, scalability, and control across $100M+ in transactions

Positioned RAS as a digital leader in the automotive supply sector